Page 1 of 1 Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) will be showing a total of 15 vehicles (12 on Press Day 1) at the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show, held at the Tokyo Big Sight convention centre in Tokyo from November 30 through December 11 (open to the public from December 3). Two cars will make their world premiere at the show: the Mitsubishi Mirage and the Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV II. They respectively embody two major pillars to the company's product strategy outlined in the 'JUMP 2013' mid-term business plan: global strategic models focused on emerging markets and models featuring "green technology." The Mitsubishi Mirage compact car embodies the global model strategy while the Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV II SUV features "green technology" with its unique plug-in hybrid drive-train.

MMC has been focusing its EV technology in the Japanese mini-car class. MMC became the first major automobile manufacturer to bring a mass-produced electric vehicle to market when it rolled out the Mitsubishi i-MiEV next-generation EV in 2009. The company will introduce its second mass-produced EV -the MINICAB- MiEV mini-car class light commercial EV in December this year. These models are very popular as city commuters where vehicles are used for transporting small groups of passengers over short distances in urban areas.

Not anymore. The Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV II is Mitsubishi Motors' idea for a mid-size plug-in hybrid PHEV model that offers a long cruising range demanded by mid-size (and larger) vehicles. The Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV II contains a state-of-the-art drive-train derived from MMC's already existing EV technology that delivers the environmental performance and quietness inherent to an EV in an SUV package that provides more comfortable motoring and allows for higher utility outside of a city commuter. The Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV, with its high environmental performance and fuel efficiency, effectively extinguishes many negative perceptions of SUVs.

MMC's unique plug-in hybrid system fuses EV technology derived from the Mitsubishi i-MiEV with a small conventional engine that features MMC's latest fuel and environmental efficiency technologies. This combination provides not only a combined fuel efficiency3 of more than 60km per litre, far superior than that of a conventional engine-driven car, but also very high levels of environmental performance while maintaining a cruising range on a par with conventional engine-driven vehicles (over 800 km).

MMC's plug-in hybrid system uses high-capacity batteries that allow the vehicle to cover over 50 km in all-electric mode alone, allowing it to be driven solely as an EV for most everyday situations. Depending on power consumption and remaining battery charge the system will start the engine automatically as a generator, and the engine can also be used to help drive the wheels, if necessary. In addition, with the push of a button, the driver has the freedom to select Battery Drive Mode when he/she wishes to drive quietly and emissions-free (at sufficient battery levels) in residential areas or the countryside using pure EV power. At the same time, the driver can also switch to Battery Charge Mode while on the move, controlling use of battery power and using the engine as a generator to charge the batteries.

A socket fitted to the vehicle allows the electricity stored in the drive batteries to be used to power electric appliances when camping or in other outdoor pursuits, or to provide an emergency power source. In addition, the quick-charge port is vehicle-to-home (V2H) compatible.

Another feature of the Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV II apart from its outstanding environmental performance is its drive-train which uses a newly developed twin-motor four-wheel-drive system mated to Mitsubishi's S-AWC (Super-All Wheel Control) advanced traction control system. Based on the four-wheel-drive technology developed and honed in the Lancer Evolution X models, S-AWC delivers pure driving pleasure by maneuvering effortlessly to the driver's will while maintaining high levels of stability and safety. In addition to superior handling, the Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV II provides 100% instant off-the-line torque inherent to electric motors, giving it acceleration comparable to that of a 3.0-litre V6 engine. The Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV II takes environmentally-friendly vehicles to a new level with its unique blend of fuel and environmental efficiency, performance, and utility. Page 1 of 1